Lebanese Recipes – Lebanese Cooking Academy

Lebanese White Bean Stew with Meat

Faṣūliyā bil-Laḥme

A Lebanese home-style stew of tender white beans and beef or lamb in a light tomato broth, finished with the characteristic fragrance of garlic and fresh coriander. Slow simmering tenderizes the meat while keeping the beans intact. It is traditionally served with Lebanese rice, often prepared with toasted vermicelli; this gluten-free lesson uses plain rice.

Prep20 min

Cook2h

DifficultyIntermediate

YieldAbout 2.8 kg stew and cooked rice

Know what you are cooking

Fasoulia bil-lahme is a Pan-Lebanese family dish with household variations. Beef and lamb are both established choices; some cooks add the garlic-coriander mixture early, while others fry it separately and add it near the end for a fresher aroma. Tomato concentration, broth thickness, and warm-spice seasoning also vary by household.

Serve hot as a family lunch or supper, spooned beside or over rice. Offer lemon wedges at the table only if desired; the finished stew should taste balanced rather than sharply acidic.

By the end, you can:

Brown meat without crowding the pot.
Control a slow braise so the meat becomes tender without reducing the broth excessively.
Add fully cooked beans at the correct stage so they absorb flavor while remaining intact.
Prepare and use a Lebanese garlic-coriander finish without scorching the garlic.
Judge stew consistency through observable texture rather than time alone.

Method

Brown the meat

Heat 20 ml olive oil in the uncovered stew pot over medium-high heat. Season the beef with 4 g salt. Brown it in two or three batches, leaving space between the pieces, for about 3 minutes per side. Transfer each batch to a clean plate.

Look, smell, feelThe meat should have a deep brown crust and release readily from the pot; it should not be grey or surrounded by liquid.SafetyKeep raw-meat utensils and the used plate away from cooked food. Wash hands and sanitize contacted surfaces.

Build the tomato base

Reduce the heat to medium. Add the onion and cook for 6 minutes, scraping up the browned residue. Add the tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes, stirring continuously. Add the crushed tomatoes, 1200 ml hot water, cinnamon stick, allspice, black pepper, and 6 g salt. Return the meat and accumulated juices to the pot.

Look, smell, feelThe onion should be translucent, and the tomato paste should darken from bright red to brick red without blackening.SafetyAdd liquid carefully because the hot pot may spit and release steam.

Braise the meat

Bring the liquid to a full boil, then immediately reduce to a gentle simmer. Partially cover and cook for 60–75 minutes, stirring every 15 minutes. Add a little hot water if the meat is no longer mostly submerged.

Look, smell, feelOnly small bubbles should break the surface. The meat is ready for the beans when a fork enters with little resistance but the cubes still hold their shape.SafetyVerify that the meat reaches at least 74°C in its center. Keep the pot handles turned inward and avoid leaning over escaping steam.

Add the cooked beans

Remove the cinnamon stick. Fold in the fully cooked white beans and return the stew to a gentle simmer. Cook uncovered for 15–20 minutes, stirring carefully from the bottom once or twice.

Look, smell, feelThe beans should be hot and creamy inside but mostly intact; the broth should lightly coat the back of a spoon while remaining pourable.SafetyUse only fully cooked beans. If cooking dried white kidney or cannellini beans at home, soak them, discard the soaking water, cover with fresh water, boil vigorously for at least 10 minutes, and then simmer until completely tender; follow local health guidance and never use a slow cooker for the initial cooking of raw kidney beans.

Cook the rice

While the beans simmer, place the drained rice, 560 ml water, butter, and 2 g salt in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil, stir once, cover tightly, and reduce to the lowest heat. Cook for 15 minutes, then remove from the heat and keep covered for 5 minutes before fluffing.

Look, smell, feelThe cooked grains should be tender and separate, with no free water remaining at the bottom.SafetySteam can cause burns; open the lid away from your face. Serve promptly or keep the rice above 60°C.

Prepare the garlic-coriander finish

Heat the remaining 10 ml olive oil in a small frying pan over medium-low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the coriander and cook for another 60–90 seconds, stirring constantly.

Look, smell, feelThe garlic should smell sweet and aromatic without browning; the coriander should wilt and turn glossy deep green.SafetyDo not leave the small pan unattended; minced garlic can scorch quickly.

Finish and adjust

Stir the garlic-coriander mixture into the stew and simmer for 3 minutes. Taste and add the remaining salt only as needed. If too thick, add hot water in 50 ml additions; if too thin, simmer uncovered for several minutes.

Look, smell, feelThe finished stew should smell distinctly of coriander and garlic, with tender meat, intact beans, and a tomato broth that flows slowly from the spoon.SafetyBefore serving, ensure the stew is steaming throughout and at least 74°C after the final additions.

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Chef notes

Patting the meat dry and browning in batches develops flavor; overcrowding causes steaming.
Cooked bean weights vary with variety and hydration. Prioritize fully tender beans that hold their shape.
For a more brothy household style, add 100–200 ml additional hot water. For a thicker style, crush a small spoonful of beans against the side of the pot.
Lamb shoulder may replace beef and gives a richer broth; trim only excessive exterior fat so the meat remains succulent.
Lebanese vermicelli rice is a common accompaniment, but plain rice preserves the lesson's gluten-free specification.

Common mistakes

Boiling the stew aggressively, which can toughen the meat initially and break the beans later.
Adding undercooked dried beans directly to the acidic tomato broth; acidity can greatly delay softening.
Scorching the garlic, which makes the entire stew bitter.
Reducing the broth too early instead of allowing enough liquid and time for the meat to tenderize.
Stirring vigorously after adding the beans, causing their skins to split and the stew to become pasty.

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Practical substitutions

Use an equal weight of trimmed lamb shoulder for the beef; cooking time may vary, so judge tenderness with a fork.
Freshly cooked white beans are preferred, but drained canned beans are suitable when rinsed and heated thoroughly.
Use additional olive oil instead of butter in the rice for a dairy-free version.
If fresh coriander is unavailable, use 6 g dried coriander leaf, recognizing that its aroma will be less vivid. Ground coriander seed is not an equivalent replacement.
To serve with traditional vermicelli rice, replace 40 g of the rice with 40 g broken vermicelli and toast it in the butter before adding the remaining rice; this version is not gluten-free unless certified gluten-free vermicelli is used.

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Plan and store

Make ahead: The stew may be prepared one day ahead; cool it promptly in shallow containers and refrigerate within 2 hours. Prepare fresh coriander-garlic finish separately if the brightest aroma is desired, adding it during reheating. Rice is best cooked near serving time.

Storage: Refrigerate stew and rice in separate shallow, covered containers at 4°C or below within 2 hours of cooking. Use within 3–4 days. Freeze the stew for up to 3 months for best quality; the beans may soften after thawing. Follow local health guidance if stricter limits apply.

Reheating: Reheat only the portion required. Bring the stew to at least 74°C throughout, stirring so meat and beans heat evenly. Reheat rice rapidly to at least 74°C with a small splash of water; do not repeatedly cool and reheat either component.

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Plate and serve

Fluff the rice and place it beside or in the center of a warm shallow bowl. Spoon the stew around or over it, distributing meat and beans evenly. Finish with a few fresh coriander leaves and serve optional lemon wedges separately.